1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of coring devices for removing matter from the interior of a food item. More specifically it relates to a bagel coring apparatus for cutting a circular channel in a cut bagel half which is substantially concentric with the bagel perimeter. Such a channel may be cut into two bagel halves, and cream cheese or any other desired bagel topping may be inserted into the channels and the bagel halves placed face to face together for consumption.
The bagel coring apparatus preferably includes a bagel retaining drum for receiving and holding a bagel half, with the bagel inner surface exposed. The drum is affixed to a mounting base and a coring element mounted at an end of an advancing drive screw approaches and enters the drum to core the bagel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been coring devices for removing matter from the interior portions of various food items. Several of these devices have been suited to removing a cylinder of matter from the center of an item, such as from an apple or a prune, but incapable of removing an annular core from a ring-shaped food item such as a bagel. Other devices which have been designed for annular coring of bagels have generally been awkward to use and expensive to manufacture.
Sonkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,419, issued on Dec. 25, 1990, discloses an apparatus and method for treating baked goods. Sonkin includes a guide ring which is fitted against the cut face of a bagel half and is sized to follow the bagel outer periphery. Pin elements project from the abutting side of the guide ring to pierce the bagel half and hold the guide ring in position. A disk having a pair of blades projecting from a disk first face is pressed against the cut face of the bagel half so that the blades penetrate the bagel half just inside the guide ring. A flange on a second face of the disk is gripped by the user and rotated so that the blades scoop out bagel matter adjacent the inner edge of the guide ring. Alternatively to the guide ring, a guide screw formed of a twisted flat strip extends from a plate, and fits into a slot in the center of the disk. A problem with Sonkin is that the user must grip the bagel with one hand while cutting, and could accidently cut that hand. Another problem is that rotating the disk with one hand while holding the other hand against rotation is awkward. Finally, the screw alternative would not prevent the disk from wobbling during disk advancement, and the blades might skip out of the ring.
Valenti, U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,193, issued on Jul. 23, 1991, reveals a bagel scooper. Valenti includes a bagel holder having a tubular wall sized to receive a bagel half and an end wall with bagel engaging teeth. A bagel half is pressed against the teeth to secure it against rotation relative to the holder. Then a cutting element in the form of a disk member mounted at an end of a shaft is inserted into the holder. A blade projects from the disk opposite the shaft and is located radially with respect to the center of the disk to engage the bagel half between its outer and inner circumferences. The disk is rotated by turning a handle attached to the shaft and the blade cuts an annular channel into the bagel. A problem with Valenti is that the user must rely on their discretion as to how much pressure to apply to the handle to cut a core of an appropriate depth. Another problem with Valenti is that the user must once again grip the holder with one hand and hold it stationary while awkwardly rotating the handle with the other hand.
Chambos, U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,621, issued on Apr. 27, 1976, teaches a potato cutting machine. A potato is pressed against teeth protruding from a mounting disk, and the disk is affixed to a bit shaft which is fitted into a chuck of an electric drill. The drill is in turn mounted on a carriage which slides along a track in a mounting base. At an end of the track is a cutting surface including a plate perpendicular to the track and to the mounting base. Scoring knives and a slicing blade protrude from the plate toward the mounting disk and potato. The user activates the drill motor and slides the drill and carriage toward the cutting surface, and then presses the rotating potato against the plate and blade. The potato is cut into multiple helical strips which are discharged to one side of the cutting surface. A problem with Chambus is that the spinning potato or other item could fly off the spinning disk. Another problem is that the user, once again, must exercise imperfect discretion in deciding how much pressure to apply to the food item. Finally, the helical cutting configuration is not suited to coring bagels.
Farha, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,850, issued on Feb. 10, 1976, discloses a method of hollowing out an article of food. A food article is seated in a curved holding member. A blade element mounted at an end of a motor driven, rotating shaft is directed toward the food article. The holding member and the food article are advanced toward and against the blade element. The blade element may include multiple metal straps sharpened along elongate edges and bowing outwardly from the axis of rotation. The rotating blade element penetrates the food article. The holding member is moved translationally and rotationally as needed to permit the blade element hollow out the food article. A problem with Farha et al. if used for coring bagels is that moving the bagel half relative to the blade element to cut a circular channel would be awkward and haphazard. Another problem with Farha et al. is that the blade cutting edges are not oriented to efficiently cut into a bagel.
Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,410, issued on Apr. 10, 1984, reveals a coconut grater. Thompson is much like Farha et al. in that a cutting element is mounted at an end of a rotating shaft and the food article is pressed and maneuvered against the cutting element. The only notable differences are that the Thompson cutting element is a convex surface with ragged edged openings punched through it and the shaft is rotated by a hand crank. The problems of Farha et al. are again presented.
Mason, U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,720, issued on Apr. 7, 1970, teaches a machine for dishing pineapples and similar food items. A U-shaped strap having a sharp longitudinal edge protrudes laterally from a shaft. The shaft is rotatably secured across a pineapple-receiving cavity. A pineapple is cut in half and one of the halves is placed in the cavity with the cut face directed outwardly. The shaft is positioned over the cut face and rotated with a crank handle to advance the cutting strap through the pineapple to cut out a curved chunk. A problem with Mason is that cutting by guiding a blade in a dipping movement into and out of the food article is not an efficient way to cut an annular channel.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a bagel coring apparatus which can remove an annular core of bagel matter from a bagel half which is concentric with the bagel perimeter to receive bagel toppings such as cream cheese.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is self-supporting and which securely holds the bagel half against rotation during coring, and then permits rapid and reliable expulsion of the cored bagel half from the apparatus.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is readily portable, compact, and easy to use and clean.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is simple, durable and inexpensive to manufacture.